What Works for Women? Self-improvement versus a social and cultural approach to solve gender inequality at work in The Netherlands - Stephanie van der Raad

We should question the belief that women’s less ideal positions at work compared to men, are their individual duty to undo. This belief encourages women to focus on self-improvement, and ignore and reduce the differences between men and women when it comes to equal payment, leadership positions, professional behavior, maternity leave and other work-related matters. However, when approaching gender inequality at work through cultural structures and established institutions, it seems to boost men’s thriving over women’s. To truly solve the gender gap at work, we should distance ourselves from the unfair notion that primarily individual women should solve gender inequality at work. Instead, I suggest a culture in the workplace, in which agency is not individual but collective. Collective agency might foster an inclusive exploration to improve gender ...